Iranian rioters were paid to commit murder and arson

Participants in the Iranian unrest received payment for murder and arson, the country's Defense Minister stated.

Nasirzadeh also stated that there were even fees fixed for acts of sabotage: murder – $3,500, arson of a car – $1,600, arson of a police station – about $500, and vandalism – $100.

Earlier, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated that the protests were initially peaceful, and that Iranian authorities had engaged in dialogue with the protesters. After this, a "second phase" started, in which "new faces" intervened, and the protests began to escalate into violence.

Between January 8 and 10, "armed terrorist elements and groups" emerged. The goal was to incite the protests to rebellion and bloodshed. Tehran has promised to investigate all cases of provocation.